


He Loved You Too

by Ghara2



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, BillDip, Human Bill Cipher, Human!Bill, M/M, Reincarnation, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 15:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15222080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghara2/pseuds/Ghara2
Summary: Hi! This is the fic I disguised for my Reading and Writing class lmaoHope you guys enjoy! If you notice any editing error or something (e.g. 'Bill' becomes 'Will'; Bill's eyes are blue when they're supposedly amber), do tell me!





	He Loved You Too

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is the fic I disguised for my Reading and Writing class lmao
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! If you notice any editing error or something (e.g. 'Bill' becomes 'Will'; Bill's eyes are blue when they're supposedly amber), do tell me!

Joy, love, romantic moments, comfort, possibly his sanity, and above all, a lover. Those are some of the things Bill had been missing for the past 30 years. However, he was a demon; having lived for over a trillion years, that wasn’t too much for him, so he waited in his own dimension, watching the Earth through drawings of him all over the planet, which several people from various time periods have made.

He’d been making deals with humans for millennia, and he never broke any of them—though the results weren’t always pretty—which earned him his famous yet infamous reputation. Regardless of how people viewed him, more often than not, they illustrated him. His demonic form was easy to draw, and those ancient people especially loved to draw on walls, which basically gave him little peepholes to look through in many, many places.

Bill was a being of pure energy, which meant that he didn’t need sleep, so he never got tired, and he was glad that was the case. Sure, it may have taken him 30 years of nonstop observation, but he finally found his best friend’s reincarnation, and the wait was absolutely worth it.

Megrez, the reincarnation, was a bit different. He had auburn hair and dressed up mostly in green, but he was still similar enough to Dipper, who had chocolate brown hair and dressed up mostly in blue. Even their names were similar; they both started with the letter ‘M,’—and though ‘Dipper’ is technically a nickname, they’re both related to the same constellation—which was no surprise, as reincarnated individuals tend to be named something that resembles a past life’s name.

Bill never took his eyes off him since he found him. He watched day after day, waiting for an opportunity to pop into his life in a seemingly casual manner. He couldn’t risk losing him again, and teleporting right in front of him would only make him distrustful. Knowing Dipper, who was cynical, it would be difficult to gain Megrez’ trust if he messed up his first impression. In fact, he made that mistake back then. Well, technically he wasn’t trying to be Dipper’s friend at first anyway, but after a few years of being away from each other, he showed himself again, and somehow, they bonded and became inseparable. It took a lot of time though, which Bill didn’t want to be the case again.

He was immortal, but Dipper wasn’t, and neither was Megrez. That said, he couldn’t afford to waste time trying to be close to Megrez, especially since he already knew they’d be the best of friends.

After about a week, Bill finally found the perfect opportunity. He hasn’t been so excited in such a long time, and it was at that moment that he realized just how much he missed that feeling. Right away, he started planning how he would introduce himself to Megrez, and the more he thought, the more eager he got to just show himself already. Of course, he didn’t let his desires take over him, and he patiently waited just a little more.

** ______________________________ **

Once it was finally time, Bill turned into his human form and teleported to the nightclub Megrez was in. It was dark yet bright, lasers and spotlights strobing in all directions, briefly exposing the faces and features of the silhouettes dancing under the glow of the vivid lights from the stage and the ceiling. The sultry atmosphere was filled with the scent of sweat and alcohol; cigarettes too, but it was much fainter. The vibrations of the floor from the loud music’s bass would send sensations throughout the demon’s body, tempting him to join in the intoxication and debauchery.

It was certainly enticing to have a crazy night with humans for the first time in a while, but nothing could distract him from the tipsy-looking redhead sitting by the bar. While keeping his eyes on him, Bill danced in the nearby crowd, waiting for the perfect opportunity to finally approach him. It didn't take long to realize that the man had been drinking several glasses of beer alone. Once he did, he walked towards him and sat on the empty bar stool next to him.

“Hey there, mind if I buy you a drink?” the demon asked.

The redhead, slightly startled, flinched before he turned to his right. His hazel eyes met irises so mesmerizingly amber that for a moment, he thought they had absorbed the lights around them.

“Uh…who are you? No, wait, why would you even want to buy me a drink?”

Those eyes were beautiful, but he was only slightly drunk; not drunk enough to accept alcohol from a stranger just yet.

“Name’s Bill, and I can see that you’ve been alone all night. Thought you could use a drinking buddy to have a nice chat with.”

“Well…screw it, alright. Surprise me. Oh, I’m Megrez, by the way. Uh, nice to meet you?”

Megrez had a lot of questions in his head, such as _‘Why would anyone just approach a stranger to drink together?’_ or _‘He said he can see that I’ve been alone all night. Does that mean he’s been stalking me?’_ , but he didn’t quite have the motivation to be a skeptic at the moment. Plus, a little company wouldn’t hurt, it’d be better than spending the whole night alone.

“Pleasure to meet you too, Maple Leaf,” Bill said as he offered his hand.

“Maple Leaf?”

Megrez was a bit confused, but he shook his new drinking buddy’s hand anyway.

“Your necklace.”

“Oh.”

Temporarily leaving the conversation at that, Bill swiveled his chair, turning to the bartender. He didn’t think twice about either of the drinks he was going to order. After all, he basically already knew Megrez more than anyone, possibly even Megrez himself.

“Hey bartender, I’ll have a margarita, and give him a nice, strong Bijou,” he ordered as he slid the cash he’d pulled out of his wallet across the counter. Once the bartender took the payment and gave the right change, he proceeded to make the said cocktails.

Rather than watching Pat—at least, that’s what it said on his name tag—work, Bill turned back to Megrez.

“So, you come here often?” he asked with his elbow on the table, propping up his chin.

Megrez snorted at the ridiculously typical actions Bill just did. Heck, even the flirty look in his half-lidded eyes and his silly, supposedly seductive smirk were typical of guys trying to pick up a chick in a club, too, yet it charmed him anyway. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was drunk or if he genuinely had an interest in the man before him, but he definitely didn’t mind, and he certainly found him rather alluring.

“No, not really…I mean uh, this isn’t my first time here, but I’m not exactly a regular. I don’t drink to get wasted, so I usually just order beer or anything with beer in it because I don’t know if I can handle anything stronger like wow vodka and whiskey have 40% yet I can already get drunk off beer which is like, 4% or something. Wait why did I tell you that oh no please don’t use that against me I should really shut up now yikes.”

Obviously, he couldn’t speak properly when he was drunk. It was a dead giveaway, but Bill already knew he wasn’t sober, so it didn’t actually matter all that much.

“Relax, Maple Leaf, I’m just here to have a good time with you. Let’s get to know each other with a drink or a few more, hm? I’m sure you’ll like the one I got just for you.”

“Oh yeah? What’d you get me?”

“Well, you told me to surprise you, but _I’m_ surprised you didn’t hear me order just now.”

“Oh yeah... _wow_ how much beer did I drink to get this drunk??? This was a bad idea, huh?”

“I don’t think so. You wouldn’t have fun talking with me if you were sober, would you?”

“…Huh. Good point, Bill.”

With a smile, the demon took his drink and slid the other to the man beside him.

Smiling back, Megrez took the glass given to him, and looking into each other’s eyes, they clinked their glasses. Bill then took a few sips of his margarita, slightly rotating its glass with each one to get a bit of salt from the rim every time. Megrez, on the other hand, took a look at his unfamiliar drink before he took a sip. And when he did, he immediately placed his glass back onto the counter and exclaimed, “HOO WOW _THAT’S_ HOT!”

Bill laughed, amused by the redhead’s reaction. Patting Megrez’ back, he responded, “Well, it _does_ have gin in it.”

“ _Gin_?”

“And vermouth. Aaaaand chartreuse. Gives you a nice burn in the throat, doesn’t it?”

“I…well, I don’t know about _nice_ , but there’s a burn alright. Oh, uh…I’m gonna get even drunker, so uh, excuse me if I act sorry. I mean act _stupid_. Shoot, I’m doing it already.”

“It’s fine, Maple Leaf, let’s get to know each other. So, it’s just me you’re drinking with tonight. I mean, that’s great since I’m the best company anyone can ever hope for, but don’t you have anyone else to drink with? No friends to hang out with?”

“Oh, no, I do, it’s just that…uh…”

Feeling like he’d be a little more comfortable talking about the reason he went to the club if he was more intoxicated, Megrez took another sip of his drink. He exhaled audibly afterwards since it was still strong for him, but he could feel himself loosen up, so it was fine. The burning sensation in his throat felt a bit more pleasant, too.

“…I came here to just…get away, you know? From relationship issues,” he continued.

“Relationship issues? I’m listening,” Bill said as he slightly leaned towards Megrez, right before taking another sip of his drink as well.

“My uh…my girlfriend’s been… _different_ recently. Well, recently? Weeks. Since a few weeks ago. “ Megrez sighed. “I don’t know. And I don’t really want any of my friends to know about this because they might tell her or something, and that’d be a lot worse.”

“How is she different?”

“She keeps on hugging me tightly and kissing me. I mean, of course I know that’s what people in relationships do, but she’s _definitely_ overdoing it. It’s…weird. Also, we haven’t gone on any dates recently, and she doesn’t even seem like she wants to go on any. She keeps on making excuses, man, and yeah yeah I know people can be busy and have lives of their own, but really, she even used one of the most pathetic ones ever at one point…actually, that one even gave me a hint as to why she’s acting so strange, and it sucks. You ready for this?”

“Hell yeah,” Bill said before downed the rest of his margarita.

“’Mye-Mye, I can’t go. I have to help David _paint his room.’_ ”

“ _No_.”

“ _Yes._ Like, oh my god, she could’ve just said she was _going to watch paint dry_. It’s basically the _same thing_. It’s as if she did the ‘Hey you can copy my homework just don’t make it exactly the same’ meme at that very moment and it’s _ridiculous_. Or…wait… _wait_ …she said she was gonna help David paint his room? _His room_? What if that means something…what if…oh no…NONONO NOPE.”

Not wanting to continue that trail of thought, Megrez took a big gulp of his Bijou, finishing it up. He slammed his glass right onto the counter after doing so, and thankfully, he didn’t crack it or anything. Such a large amount of strong alcohol suddenly rushing down his throat made him cough a bit, and the burn made him feel a little more lightheaded than he already was. Both of those indicated that _maybe_ it wasn’t a good idea to drink more, especially considering that he wasn’t even used to drinking strong alcoholic drinks, but he couldn’t care less, and in a way, it was better for Bill. Of course he cared about his best friend’s reincarnation, but he also needed him to have his social barriers lowered so they can bond easily. If he was going too far off the deep end though, of course he’d stop him.

After giving Megrez a few moments to breathe, Bill asked, “So, you think she’s cheating on you?”

The redhead sighed and avoided eye contact, looking at his glass rather than the demon’s beautiful—yet terrifying to some—eyes.

“Yeah…” he said, his voice with what was probably disappointment and regret in it. “I never really thought that she’d be the one I’d marry or anything like that since that’s way too ambitious considering we’ve only been together for like, three months. Still hurts though.”

“Of course it does; it’s understandable. I’m here for you though, Maple Leaf. Don’t hesitate to talk to me, alright?”

“Alright…” Megrez replied, not even wondering how he would even see the demon again.

“Good.. Anyway, is there anything you want to know about me, Maple Leaf?”

“Yeah, why’rey’so great? I don’t want you to leave. I want you. You’re _great_. I wouldn’t mind getting wasted with you. Am I stupid? Yeah’m stupid; I haven’t even broken up with her yet when I should’ve. I’m a mess. Kind of. It’s nice talking to you and I don’t know why because you’re a stranger!”

“Oh.”

Although Megrez was drunk—and thus, was definitely prone to saying unexpected things—Bill didn’t see those kind yet slightly slurred words coming. He felt as if they were from Dipper himself, and it made all their memories together fill his mind.

Dipper’s reincarnation is right in front of him, but Bill still misses him. No reincarnation will ever be exactly the same as him. No matter how similar of a personality they have to him, their vessel will never be his. Bill can never hold his hand or cuddle him ever again, and that realization struck him through his heart.

He really missed Dipper and there was nothing he could do.

“…Shoot. Sorry, I uh…too much? Yeah, too much, huh? Shouuuuuulda kept my mouth shut, but I mean, I did warn you, so…yeah.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Bill quickly replied, “Oh, nonononono. It’s okay. Really, it’s okay. I was just caught off-guard; I was…really touched. T-Thank you.”

“Are y’sure? I’m pree sure I came on too strong. I did juz meet you, after all…iz probably the alcohol. Prolly shouldn’t’ve finished the drink, but you bought it for me, so I can’t _not_ finish it…I-I’m not blaming you though! I’m not mad at you or anything. Again, I’m just a mess.”

“I’m sure, Maple Leaf. You’re absolutely lovely, but you _are_ really drunk. ‘Course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t wanna hang out with you anymore, but you should rest; you obviously can’t handle your alcohol like I do. I’ll call you a cab. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ll ride with you. I won’t leave until you’re safe and snug in your bed,” the demon says, his arm slung around the redhead’s shoulders.

“Hm…I’ll only go if you actually sleep over. I don’t wanna lose you, Bill, like, I dun even have your number. Just please sleep over; I’ll juz get your contact stuff tomorrow, okay? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaseee?”

Apparently Megrez already liked him more than he thought, which was good, but slightly concerning as Megrez would be so much more cynical and careful around strangers, especially in establishments where people can drink basically as much alcohol as they want, such as the nightclub they were currently in. Hopefully he’s never opened up to and thrown himself to a stranger as much as he did to Bill, and that he only did so because he was Dipper’s reincarnation and therefore couldn’t help it.

“Aw, how could I say no to that face?” Bill said, pretending to not be worried as he gazed at Megrez, whose cheeks were even redder than they were when the demon first saw him. He really was cute, and Bill hoped that no one’s seen that face of his before.

“I don’t want to leave you either, so a sleep over would actually be really great. Thanks.”

With that, Bill asked Megrez for his address. The redhead’s inhibitions were thrown out the window since that additional drink, so he didn’t even hesitate to give his full address to the demon. Bill then called a cab for them like he said he would. Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait that long for it to arrive.

It was a rather peaceful ride to his house; Bill let Megrez rest his head on his shoulder as he slept. The demon had his arms wrapped around the redhead for almost the whole time as well, embracing him to keep him warm and hopefully give him a good, short dream before he had to wake up again.

** ______________________________ **

Megrez groaned as the scent of bacon seemed to have woken him up. He slowly opened his eyes, and right away, he felt the headache he should’ve expected from all the alcohol he drank the night before. He closed his eyes and groaned again, completely losing the desire to leave his bed until he realized minutes later that he shouldn’t be smelling anything other than his own breath if it was that bad.

_Wait. I live alone._

As if on cue, the demon walked into the room, holding a tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, and what appeared to be some sort of egg delicacy, along with a glass and pitcher of water. The breakfast certainly looked pleasant, but to Megrez, there were much more important matters, the first being figuring out who the uninvited—at least, that’s what he thought—guest was.

Too impaired to sit up, he lay in his bed as he asked, “Uck…who are you…?”

His throat was dryer than he thought, resulting in his voice being raspy and his throat hurting as he forced those words out. He coughed, too, which felt even worse.

“It’s me, Bill, your wonderful drinking buddy from last night. We had lots of fun, but you got pretty damn drunk, so I took you here. Also, before you ask, you gave me your address. Anyway, here, you might wanna drink some water first; wouldn’t want to strain your throat. Actually, hang on, I’ll help you up. Got a bad hangover, don’t you?”

Bill placed the tray on the bedside table. He then offered his hand to Megrez, who glanced at him warily before taking it. Helping him sit up, he positioned his other hand on the redhead’s back, supporting his weight as he lifted him slowly and carefully.

Once Megrez was propped against a pillow, Bill handed him the glass of water he brought.

“Thanks, Megrez said as he took the glass, voice still soft to lessen the pain he’d experience from talking. Without inspecting the drink—since he apparently found the demon trustworthy enough—he drank the water until he’d downed it all.

A particularly very important question popped up in his mind, making him panic a little. His eyes widened in fear of what might be the answer.

He immediately asked that question. Well, he tried, at least.

“Wait, we didn’t—y-you didn’t…you know…with me, d-did you? Did _we_? Did _you_??? I-I—“

“ No, we didn’t have _that_ kind of fun. The most intimate we got was just a few cuddles, really. Mostly because I had to keep you warm in the car. You didn’t want me to let go though,” Bill answered, taking the glass and placing it back on the tray.

“…Did you cuddle me to sleep in this bed, too?”

“Do you think you wanted me to?”

There was a pause.

Megrez didn’t know how to answer that because he could barely remember the man before him. However, he couldn’t help but feel as if he preferred one answer over the other. It felt odd, like his subconscious self knew something that he didn’t, which was sort of true since his drunk memories were there, he just couldn’t remember them. Nevertheless, he went with what his mind was telling him to say.

“…Yes.”

“Good, because I did.”

It was true that Bill cuddled Megrez to sleep, but he himself didn’t sleep at all. Bill simply held him and stroked his hair and back as much as the drunk wanted him to until he slept comfortably. Once he did, Bill turned into his demonic form and got out of the bed without disturbing him. He knew Megrez might not appreciate waking up in a ‘stranger’’s arms, and it’s not like he needed sleep anyway. Not in his demonic form, at least.

Rather than watching over Megrez in his bed, Bill floated above him. With nothing more important than his best friend’s reincarnation, he didn’t take his eyes off him for even a nanosecond. He watched over Megrez for a few hours, just until the sun started to come up. It was then that he turned back into his human form and headed to the kitchen to start making breakfast. He didn’t have to worry about the redhead waking up before he was ready; Megrez got drunk and slept late, so he would definitely wake up later than usual, and Bill was right.

“Oh. Um…thanks?” Megrez replied, still rather confused with his feelings.

“You’re very much welcome, Maple Leaf.”

_Maple Leaf…_

_…Oh. So that was Bill. No,_ this _is Bill._

_“Huh, I didn’t actually get to know him, did I?”_

“Not much, no. I wouldn’t mind answering any more questions you have to ask me though, so go ahead.”

“Wait, what?”

“You said that out loud. So, ask away.”

“Oh, um…uh…where are you from? And um…how old are you, I guess?” Megrez asked, unable to think of anything better to ask at the moment. He regretted how stupid and typical those questions were, but there was no going back, so he just had to deal with it along with the rest of the pain he was currently experiencing.

Bill snorted as he placed the glass and pitcher on the nightstand. “Well, I’m certainly not from anywhere near here at all. Let’s say...Oregon. I can go back to my house just fine though, don’t worry. As for my age, this beautiful man in front of you is 22 years old, just like you are.”

“Oregon? Wait, so you’re from Oregon…but is your _house_ in this city?? In this state, at least? I don’t want you to have a hard time getting home or take really long; California is pretty far…”

“Like I said, I can get to my house just fine, so don’t worry about it. If it makes you feel better, you could say it’s within this state.”

He wasn’t lying; not exactly.*

“Alright. I mean, I guess I wouldn’t just give my full address to a stranger so that’s fine. Wait…no, I mean when I’m sober.”

_Well…I can’t give my address if I don’t have one._

Megrez chuckled rather nervously. “Good thing you’re not a criminal or something…l-like a pimp…right?”

“I’ve broken some laws, but no, I’m not the kind of criminal you’re thinking of.”

“Phew, okay, good. Let’s see…uh…uck, hang on, it’s kinda hard to think…oh, do you…work somewhere? Sorry for another lame question, but I’ll ask you some better ones later. You know, as soon as I can think properly.”

“I work at home,” Bill said, sitting on the bed with the tray on his lap. “Here, try this. Made this myself. Well, I made this whole platter myself, actually. You’re welcome.”

“Oh, thanks. What is this, exactly? Looks really good.” Megrez sniffed the delicacy given to him. “ _Smells_ good.” With the little fork provided, he took a bite, and almost immediately, his eyes lit up in delight. “ _Tastes_ good! Bill, how did you learn to make this?! It’s really good!”

_Called me Bill even though you can barely remember me from last night, huh?_

_It really is you in there, Dipper._

“Of course it is, my culinary skills are like no other! Also, I just got the recipe from the internet. Still my skills that made this the best Egg in a Cloud ever though; do you _see_ that perfectly positioned egg yolk? Those crispy bacon bits chopped with precision by yours truly? Only _I_ can achieve that level of perfection in a little dish like this, and only _you_ have the honor of experiencing it.”

“Pff, alright. I…guess I’m honored then.” After taking another bite of the ‘Egg in a Cloud,’ he asked, “So…are you into anything?”

“Well, that’s a pretty bold question coming from you.”

“What—“

“Asking about those kinds of things already, huh? I mean, I know you thought we—“

“NO, I didn’t mean it like _that_! I meant if you were in any fandoms or something!” Megrez yelled, his cheeks red in embarrassment.

Bill laughed, amused by the redhead’s reaction. “I know, I know; just teasing you, Maple Leaf.”

“Wh—“

“Just keep eating; I’ll answer.”

Sighing, Megrez replied, “Alright.” He was trying to act annoyed, but he couldn’t help but smile a little. For some reason, he found the demon’s antics endearing.

“I like music from the early 40s and the 70s. Because of a certain someone, I particularly like ABBA when it comes to 70s songs.”

“Woah, really? I…Wow, I’m into ABBA too! They just have really catchy songs, I can’t help it. What’s your favorite song by them?”

“’The Day Before You Came’. What about you? Dancing Queen? I’d say that’s the catchiest one. Hell, it even made it to the Top 40 hits at one point, didn’t it?”

“Welllll…it _is_ really catchy and I absolutely love it—it’s really fun singing it, too—buuuuuuuut it’s a very very close second. My favorite is Honey Honey. I know it’s not catchier than Dancing Queen—though let’s face it, nothing is and ever will be catchier than Dancing Queen—but I still find it really fun to sing and dance to. It’s really cheerful and I can _really_ exaggerate my dance moves if I want to because it fits! I don’t actually dance to ABBA songs in front of others though since they’ll probably make fun of me for it or constantly tease me for a while…but you like ABBA, so you probably wouldn’t do that. That’s uh, why I gave you that information in the first place.”

“Hm, I see. It _is_ a cute and pretty sweet song. I think it suits you.”

Confused, Megrez raised an eyebrow. “Suits me? How?”

“You’re cute and sweet. What else did you think I meant?”

“Wh—How—“

“Anyway, I’m in the Bullet Proof fandom; murder mysteries are pretty intriguing, though mostly entertaining since it usually isn't that hard to figure out who the murderer is."

Megrez just let Bill's compliment slide. For some reason, he knew trying to argue at the moment would be pointless. "Nice! And yeah, some of the trials are just stupid and drag on for way too long, but I love the game anyway. It's just some mindless fun for the most part."

"Indeed it is."

Bill took the tray from the brunet, seeing as he was done eating, and placed it back on the nightstand.

"Oh, thanks. You're really good at cooking, Bill."

"I know, but thanks."

Megrez glared at Bill, who was smirking at him and looking into his eyes like the narcissist he is. He glared just for a moment though; he was just being playful, like Bill was. His glare turned into a stare instead when he realized that he hasn't taken a good look at the demon's eyes while he was sober yet. They were just as beautiful and piercing as they in the nightclub. His silken black locks definitely helped them pop out from his rather tan skin.

He remembered a few more things from last night.

"...Did you really approach me last night just because I looked sad and alone?" he asked.

Bill's smirk faded. He hesitated, knowing that he mustn't lie, but he couldn't tell the whole truth either. Not yet.

"No," he said, his expression serious with a hint of sadness.

"Why then?"

"I need—" He looked away. "...I was alone. Wherever I looked in that nightclub, people were having fun, but I wanted to have one of the best nights of my life, and none of them could ever make that happen.

“But you could, and you did. You were different from everyone else and you still are. Now I have you."

He spoke a little more slowly than he usually did, as if he was carefully choosing his words—which he was. He was technically telling the truth, but he still felt guilty for hiding their past from Megrez. He was aching to finally ‘reunite’ with his best friend, but he can’t ruin his current impression on him; Megrez already liked him a lot, but they still have to develop a deep bond.

He has to wait.

_I have to wait._

_I can’t lose him now._

_Please, never again._

Megrez stared at Bill with a mildly surprised expression on his face. Yet again, the demon said something sweet yet unexpected, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it—which made his headache a little worse, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. He found it rather suspicious that Bill broke eye contact, but he could tell that he was being genuine. He looked so…vulnerable all of the sudden.

_Why are you such an enigma?_

“…I see.”

He waited for Bill to look at him, but after a few moments, he realized that that wasn’t going to happen unless he did something else.

“Um, hey, I…T-That’s fine, really. I just didn’t expect there to be that much to why you talked to me, you know?  And don’t worry, I’m actually really glad to have met you. I’m glad you’re still here talking to me and even made me breakfast. It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone over, so yeah, this is really nice. I hope we can be friends, and I mean friends that talk to each other often. It’s...really fun talking to you.”

At some point in Megrez’ response, Bill looked back into his hazel eyes and smiled.

“That’s good, because it’s really great talking to you too. Hell, just being with you is enough. Speaking of, are you doing anything today?” he asked.

“Well…oh shoot, what time is it?” the brunet replied, his eyes widening as he realized that he might be late for something.

“11:27. You can figure out whether it’s day or night; you have a headache, but you’re definitely not drunk anymore.”

“Oh, phew. Wait, why was I even worried? My date’s in the night anyway. 6 PM, by the way. Take that, cliché 7 o’ clock dinner dates! Anyway, other than that, I don’t have plans for today.”

“Date with your girlfriend?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Alright, let’s play a video game or watch a movie you have here then,” Bill quickly said in attempt to drive away the thoughts that were threatening to plague his mind.

“I mean...yeah, alright, I guess it’d be a waste if I just slept while you’re around. I did buy a new game that has a great story; let’s play that. It’s uh…single-player, but you can help me if you want to. I think I’d need you since, y’know, still a bit hungover, and this game involves choices. Very important choices. I’m pretty sure it autosaves, so I can’t cheat even if I wanted to—which I don’t—so yeah.”

“Sounds fun. Which one is it? I can set up for you,” the demon offered as he stood up.

“The Strangeness of Life. Actually, it has 5 episodes, but each of them take 2 hours or so to clear, so let’s just do two. I can set it up myself, by the way; you’re the guest, you can just sit and relax.”

“You’re the one who has the hangover; let _me_ do it for you.”

“But this is _my_ house.”

 _And you’re_ my _home._

“It’s not that hard to set up a PS4, Maple Leaf.”

“ _Yeah_ , but—“

“I’m doing it already,” he began, walking to the television stand, “Because _you_ have to relax. You have a hangover, and I don’t want you to feel worse. Besides, you’ll be the one using the controller, right? I’d at least like to do _something_. I love how you’re trying to be accommodating—really, I do; I’m not being sarcastic here—but please let me take care of you even just a little. You may find this a tad strange, but you’re important to me.”

Bill was so close to exposing himself, and his tone was rather firm, but he wasn’t going to blurt out that information and, as he said, he wasn’t mad. Being honest just always worked when it came to winning against Dipper in sweet arguments, such as the one he and Megrez were currently engaged in.

However, he and Megrez just met. His approach worked, just not quite in the way it usually did.

Except there _is_ no ‘usually’ because Dipper and Megrez aren’t the same person, even if they share the same soul. Rather than a loving hug, the demon got a wry smile.

“Aw,” the redhead said, though his tone was flat. “Fine, Bill, you can set it up.”

He didn’t sound angry—and he wasn’t—but he didn’t sound like he was enamored either.

Bill sighed and walked back to him. He held the redhead’s hand in both of his and said, “Sorry, I just really care. Don’t worry, we’ll have a great time playing together. I’d say I’ll pick the stupidest choices for you, but you want the good ending, don’t you?”

Megrez chuckled a little. “Yeah, as much as possible. Again, can’t cheat, but we can try to get it.”

“Then I’ll help you get the good ending. I’ve played choice-based games before; I think my guidance will be pretty damn helpful.”

“Alright, thanks. I’ll go sit while you set up then.”

Without saying a word, Bill offered his hand. Megrez took it and let the demon help him stand. He was actually more thankful than he thought he’d be; he didn’t expect the bit of head rush he’d get, nor the lack of strength in his legs. He probably would’ve fallen if he wasn’t being supported by Bill.

He would’ve said ‘Thanks,’ but the silence between them was, oddly enough, comfortable.

Until Megrez was sitting on his soft, woolly rug, neither of them spoke, and it was something he wished he’d experienced before.

It was a little suspicious how a man who was so seemingly perfect for him just suddenly entered his life, particularly when he was drinking alone because he wanted to get his relationship problems out of his mind, but Megrez didn’t want to think about it. Bill was different from everyone he’d ever met and he didn’t want to lose him just because of his usual cynicism.

It was even weirder how he _didn’t_ want to be cynical for once. Bill was making him do things he normally wouldn’t—not intentionally, of course… _why would he?_ —and he was _liking_ it.

“Thanks. The game’s just placed on top of the others, by the way; I was planning to play it soon, so I just kinda placed it there.”

“You’re very welcome, and I gotcha.”

When Bill got the game’s keep case, he noticed the ‘arrangement’—if it can even be called an arrangement—of the rest of the games.

“How do you even find a game that isn’t just placed on top of the others? I like chaos, but how are you supposed to have fun if you’ll have to waste so much time finding what you want to play?” he asked, setting up the game as he spoke.

_Just as disorganized as Dipper’s workspaces, I see._

“It’s also a waste of time to organize them when I can be doing something else more important. Besides, their covers are pretty different from each other; I think that’s enough.”

“…Mark my words, Maple Leaf, I’ll organize these one day.”

Megrez snorted. “If you say so.”

After a few moments, the game’s menu finally showed up on the screen, and Bill sat beside the redhead, who took his controller right away.

“Ready?”

“Of course,” Bill replied.

** ______________________________ **

It’s been about 4 hours and finally, Megrez and Bill finished the second episode of The Strangeness of Life. The first was nice and heartwarming, but the next was tragic and harrowing.

“No…we…w-we couldn’t save her…” Megrez whimpered as he cried with his controller no longer in his hands.

“Sorry, Maple Leaf, I didn’t know which verse she’d listen to…”

“It’s…I-It’s okay…w-well, it’s not okay, but…this isn’t the game’s ending yet…m-maybe we can bring her back…?”

“You know Max can’t turn back time that far.”

He sniffled. “I know…but Kate didn’t deserve to die…”

“I’m sorry, Maple Leaf…”

_You didn’t deserve to die either…_

Bill gently wrapped his arms around Megrez, not only to comfort him, but to try and alleviate the pain he could feel in his own heart as well.

Tears were rolling down Megrez’ cheeks, staining his fair skin as he sobbed on the demon’s shoulder. It was as if he’d lost a loved one in real life. He didn’t, but the one he was hugging did. Bill embraced him tightly, as if fearing that he would leave him for all of eternity if he ever let go. He wasn’t crying, but that was only because he’d already cried all the tears he could for the death of his beloved. The pain he was experiencing was much more than Megrez’; it was piercing through his core, tearing his nonexistent soul apart, and it could never be taken away. He could find solace, but the grief and agony would always come back.

No one could ever understand what he went through. For years after years, centuries after centuries, millennia after millennia, he had witnessed deaths of his ‘loved ones,’ but it was only Dipper who he truly loved; who did things no human could ever do and ever did; who was the only one who ever mattered. Cursed by his immortality, he had to live through him dying, too, and he had to continue living even after that.

For 30 years, he was alone. Like the dimension he used to live in, he was a wretched mess. He was forlorn and desperate, not wanting and refusing to want anything other than the one who changed him for the rest of his existence.

And now, that person was in his arms, weeping and seeking comfort in his presence. Finally, he felt happiness and love filling his being once again.

_I found you, and I can’t stand to live without you again._

_You’re safe with me once again, and I won’t let you go._

_I can’t let you go._

He was still desperate, but at least he wasn't alone anymore.

Meanwhile, Megrez hugged Bill back, and he could feel himself calming down. While less and less tears flowed out of his eyes, he wondered why Bill's warm embrace felt as if it was full of love. It was nice, but why? _I know Kate's a good person, but she's a video game character. He doesn't think I'm_ that _sad, does he? Or is he actually heartbroken over her death, too?_

"I...I'm okay. I...I think I'm good," he said, stroking the demon's back in attempt to comfort him too.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. What about you? Are...Are _you_ okay?"

"...Yeah."

"Are you sure? You sound pretty down."

"You don't exactly sound like sunshine and rainbows either, Maple Leaf."

"Fair enough."

With that, they released each other, though Bill did so a little more slowly than Dipper. He couldn't make himself seem too weird, but he didn't want to let go just yet either.

Megrez decided not to comment on their loving embrace. Instead, he brought up something else important.

"Ah shoot, my eyes are gonna be puffy later..." he said.

The demon was a bit confused; not by what he said, but the little smile on his face. He raised an eyebrow, but he didn't actually ask about it. Instead, he asked, "Got an ice pack somewhere, Maple Leaf?"

"Yeah, in the freezer, bottom part. The kitchen's downstairs to your left."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

Bill stood up and walked out the door, leaving Megrez waiting on the rug. He headed down the stairs, straight for the kitchen. Along the way, he looked around, briefly examining the rest of the house. Other than the wooden floors, it was rather different from his and Dipper's old house, which wasn't a surprise.

Once he got the ice pack, he headed straight back to Megrez' room. He was curious as to whether his house had anything of interest—secrets, perhaps?—but he wasn't going to risk getting caught being intrusive. Besides, helping Megrez was more important anyway.

"Here you go, Maple Leaf," Bill said as he entered the room and sat beside the redhead.

"Thanks," Megrez replied, taking the ice pack being handed over to him. "I won't be able to do anything while this is on my eyes though. Are you sure you want to stick around? I don't want you to leave, but...I don't know, wouldn't you get bored?"

"I'd love to keep you company, actually. Besides, you can talk without using your eyes. In fact, some people can even talk without their mouths; it's amazing how they can talk out of their asses."

Megrez laughed and playfully shoved Bill on the shoulder. "Alright, if you say so."

** ______________________________ **

A little over an hour had passed, and Megrez was finally ready to leave.

"Alright, I have to go on my date now, so you have to go home. You're welcome to come over any time though," Megrez said, dressed in an unzipped green hoodie along with a black graphic tee, jeans, and sneakers.

"Your date isn’t fetching you?”

“...I’m the guy in the relationship. _I’m_ supposed to fetch _her_.

“...I’m not though, we’re just gonna meet up.”

“Why not? Don’t couples usually do that?” Bill asked.

“Well, we’re _not_ the usual couple.”

“How so?”

“...Just go, Bill.”

The redhead clearly avoided the question, but the demon obliged, not wanting to anger him. “Alright, I’ll go. I might come back later though.”

“Whatever, that’s fine, just go so _I_ can go.”

“As you wish, Maple Leaf.”

As Bill walked out, Megrez locked the door and headed to his car. Once he’d driven far away enough, the demon teleported back to his dimension. He then conjured a peephole, where he was going to watch over Megrez until he went back to his house.

After about 20 minutes of driving, Megrez seemed to have arrived at their date venue. It was a rather large cafe with a cozy-looking interior. It didn’t seem too fancy, but that was understandable; why would he splurge on his girlfriend when she was likely cheating on him? In contrast to that logic though, he was still taking her on a date—despite all of the ridiculous excuses she came up with—for some reason; probably because he didn’t want to face the fact that he’d been and still is wasting his time.

Miraculously enough, apparently his girlfriend had already arrived and reserved a table before he did. She was sitting at a table in the corner, which would be great for some privacy, but Megrez didn’t seem like he wanted that; he hasn’t exactly been smiling since he was preparing for their date.

Intrigued, Bill leaned forward as the redhead sat in front of his girlfriend, wondering what he would say. He was hoping that Megrez would end their relationship, but instead, he just calmly greeted her with a fake smile and asked how she was doing. Selena—his girlfriend’s name, apparently—then cheerfully greeted him back with a hug and an exaggerated kiss on the cheek. Megrez’ facial expression didn’t change, but Bill’s certainly did; he frowned at her ‘endearing’ gestures and the facade she was putting on.

_Megrez doesn’t deserve to be touched by such filthy mitts._

As a usual dinner date would go, Megrez called for a waiter after they’ve decided on their orders. While waiting, Selena kept talking to Megrez, definitely trying to lower his guard. He was right; she _was_ being too sweet. Insincerely sweet, at that. Throwing such excessive compliments—all of which were true, but absurdly nitpicky—‘casually’ holding his hand and stroking his arm, and the cheek kisses. _Oh_ , all the cheek kisses. They just kept coming and coming, once after every few sentences Megrez would say, and it was _ridiculous_. Bill couldn’t understand how he still wasn’t infuriated, but he admired him for his patience.

_How desperate are you to have two lovers at the same time, you disgusting fleshbag? Stay out of his life if you’re not going to give him the treatment he deserves._

He’d erase her from all of existence if he could. He was perfectly capable of doing so, but Megrez might not like that. Not _yet_ , perhaps; he’ll probably learn to enjoy chaos in time, just like Dipper did.

** ______________________________ **

The rest of the date was just painful to watch, but Bill refused to take his eyes off Megrez. It was a relief when it finally ended; all he had to do left was watch him drive back to his house.

A few minutes after Megrez came home, the demon teleported outside his house. After he adjusted his button-up for a few moments, he rang the doorbell.

Megrez looked out his room’s window and was surprised to see that Bill really did come back. Oddly enough though, he was relieved. He was in an unpleasant mood, but somehow, his lips curled up into a genuine smile for the first time in a few—yet seemingly excruciatingly long—hours.

He was eager to see Bill, but he still walked down the stairs and to the door at his normal pace.

“Lovely evening, Maple Leaf,” the demon greeted.

“Well, not really, but hey Bill. Come on in.”

“It is now that I’m here.”

While Bill walked in, Megrez wished he could at least chuckle at his smugness, but he still wasn’t in the mood for having any fun. He definitely wanted some decent company though, and Bill was far more than just decent. Who knows, maybe he’ll make him laugh later in the night.

“So, how was your date?” the demon asked as he sat on the couch.

“It was alright. You want anything?”

“Just you. Sit with me, Maple Leaf.”

Ignoring the fact that Bill just said he wanted him, Megrez did what he was told and sat next to him. He looked into the demon’s eyes, waiting for him to say something that would make his night better.

“Okay, really, how was your date?”

That wasn’t making his night better, but he answered anyway. Maybe if they get this conversation over with, they can move on to a better topic.

“As you can tell, not that good.”

“Why not? What went wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know about ‘went wrong’…I mean, my girlfriend’s just really… _sweet_. We just went to a café with some good food; I ordered beef lasagna, she got four cheese flatbread—which was just definitely mini pizza. That’s why she ordered it—and we talked while we enjoyed our meals.

“Thing is…she did more of the talking than I did. I mean, I guess I didn’t have anything to say since I couldn’t think of anything, but still. Her talk was mostly just throwing random compliments at me—which was _very_ sweet of her, but there was just…so much, man—and asking how I’ve been. Also telling and telling me that she loves me, and you know I have to respond or she’ll think I don’t love her back.”

“Well, _do you_ love her back?”

Megrez furrowed his brows a little. “Of course I do, she’s my girlfriend.”

“That’s just a title though. How’s about you give me a yes or a no and an actual reason?”

“I don’t _have_ to, so I won’t. All you get to know is that yeah, I do love her.”

“Why?”

“You don’t get to know that.”

“But I’m curious, Maple Leaf. Come on, do you really think it’d be so bad to tell _me_?” Bill asked, sliding closer to Megrez until he could rest his head on the redhead’s shoulder.

Megrez rolled his eyes as playfully as he could at the moment—which wasn’t very playful, but Bill would be able to tell it was—and resisted the urge to smile. He didn’t even know why he sort of wanted to smile in the first place; he didn’t like where the conversation was going, but Bill being so close to him and so charming in a cute, stupid way was apparently irresistible. To him, at least.

“Fine, I guess not,” he said, trying to sound as unamused as he was just moments ago. He didn’t manage to do so, but his tone at least sounded rather flat. “I…I love her because she’s…nice.”

“You love her because she’s _nice_?” the demon repeated, clearly unconvinced.

The redhead sighed and groaned. “I mean, she _is_ , but I guess that’s not enough. She’s…supportive. And she’s sweet; she gives me more than the amount of hugs and kisses I’d ever need and I don’t have to ask for them at all. She uh…she’s not like other girls. She didn’t order a salad earlier and she never has because she knows she’s…pretty.”

“Right. Very convincing, Maple Leaf. You’re not happy with her, are you?”

“I am!”

“No you’re not.”

“ _Yes I am_. How would _you_ know? We’ve gone on _great_ dates! We’ve gone to the mall, the fair, even a drive-in! We made out at that drive-in!”

“Then you _were_ happy. That doesn’t mean you’re still happy with her _now_.”

“ _I am_. Why else would I go on a date with her?!”

“The sense of obligation, perhaps?”

_Or is it desperation?_

“How long has it been since you’ve gone on a date with her?” Bill continued.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Where’s she been while you haven’t been seeing each other? Hasn’t _she_ asked you on a date recently? Doesn’t she make time for you?”

“She has a life, Bill!”

“A _private_ life? Oh, definitely. The weird behavior, the excuses; it’d make sense, wouldn’t it? Maybe someone else would make you happier. All things have an end; you know that, don’t you?”

“I still love her and she still loves me, _Bill_. Why are you so certain I’m not happy with her anymore? Why do you keep pushing the idea that we should break up?!”

 _Because you’re meant to be with_ me _._

“Because I want you to be happy. It hurts to see you like this; clinging on what’s left of your relationship with…your girlfriend. Even before you went, you didn’t seem excited at all. I don’t want you to keep on wasting your time and emotions. I don’t want you to be stressed over something not worth stressing about. I…”

He’d say he wants him to let go, but he can’t even let go of someone himself.

“…I want you to be with someone you deserve; someone better.”

“You don’t know her.”

“But I know you’re not happy.”

Megrez didn’t respond after that. He wasn’t looking at Bill while they were talking in the first place, but he went even further from eye contact by turning his head away and looking at the ground.

He was definitely a lot more honest when he was drunk. Not only with others, but with himself. He really wasn’t happy with what was left of his relationship anymore, but he didn’t want to be single again. He didn’t want the days he spent with her to be thrown away, even though they probably already were. He’d been longing for love and thought he’d found it. He didn’t want to go back to the pitiful piner he was. He didn’t want to believe that he wasn’t special enough for someone; that he was easily replaceable.

But he didn’t want to be miserable for much longer, either. Deep down, he already knew that she was cheating. She was probably thinking that he didn’t know and planned to lead him on until she decided that she was fully tired of him. He really did want to end things, but he refused to. If he wasn’t in denial, he’d realize that she really didn’t deserve him.

_I know she’s too ‘sweet’. I know she doesn’t want to go on dates. I know I matter less than someone else in her life now._

_But who am I supposed to go to if I leave her?_

Maybe he’d realize that he wouldn’t be alone if he broke up with her. Not anymore.

“I could sleep over again if you want, Megrez,” Bill said, snapping the redhead out of his thoughts.

Megrez finally looked him in the eye again, though he didn’t speak just yet. Being sober this time, he had second thoughts as to whether he should let the demon sleep with him again. He’s been enjoying Bill’s presence, and he was certainly different from everyone else, but the way he was acting just moments ago was just really strange.

“It’s alright, I won’t do anything bad to you. I’ll stop talking about your relationship for the night, too. I just want to be here for you is all. I could even cook breakfast for you again tomorrow.”

“Okay, you can stay over. You don’t have to cook though. Did you even eat this morning, by the way? You spent your time hanging out with and…taking care of me, but I never actually saw you eat.”

“Don’t worry, I ate before you wake up. Anyway, thanks, Maple Leaf.”

“No problem.”

 _No…thank_ you _, Bill._

** ______________________________ **

It’s been two weeks, and they’ve been wonderful. Bill had gotten really close to Megrez, just like he wanted to. They’ve finished The Strangeness of Life—which was one hell of an emotional journey and a beautiful story despite the rather cringey dialogue from time to time—eaten in a few restaurants, gone to the park, watched some movies at Megrez’ house, and sat on the couch together and talked a lot. He was Megrez’ best friend now, though he still hasn’t told him about their past.

Currently, Megrez was on another date with Selena, and Bill was watching him yet again. For the most part, is was painful to watch like the last one was, but he didn’t expect it to end much sooner than the last one.

_Well done, Megrez._

** ______________________________ **

With his head hung low, Megrez briskly walked out of his car and into his house. Once he shut the door behind him, he leaned against it and felt the tears that had been welling up in his eyes roll down his cheeks. His breathing grew ragged as he sobbed and hiccupped, and he clenched his fists against the door.

“Maple Leaf, it’s okay, I’m here,” Bill called as he rushed to Megrez as soon as he could. He then wrapped him in a warm embrace, which Megrez responded to with a much tighter hug. After a few tender strokes on his back, the redhead slightly loosened his grip, though he was still crying just as much as he was when he came back.

“Shhh…it’s okay. You’ll be okay. I’m here,” the demon cooed as he carefully guided the crying redhead to the couch.

Megrez was I pain, but he was glad that he let Bill stay in his house while he was gone; he wouldn’t have gotten comforted right away if he didn’t, and that was all that he needed at the moment. He needed so many things only Bill had and could ever have—his tender warmth, his gentle touch, his rather high-pitched yet mellifluous voice, his sincere words, and above all, his love.

“Take your time to calm down; I’ll stay with you for as long as you’d like, then we can talk about this.”

His love was like no other, and yet, it felt familiar somehow to Megrez. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure out why, but eventually, he didn’t mind. All he knew was that he never wanted to lose it. It was as if he needed nothing more in his life.

_I don’t think I can live without it._

“Bill…” he softly called.

“Yes, Meg—M-Megrez?”

That soft voice calling his name brought back memories. Tender, yet agonizing; faint, yet unbearably vivid; beautiful, yet tormenting. The image had been seared into his mind and he loved it yet hated it.

_‘Bill…’_

_‘Yes, Dipper?’_

_‘…We’ll meet again.’_

_It was too late._

“I…I think I’d l-like to talk now,” Megrez said, bringing the demon back to reality.

“Okay.”

Bill slowly pulled back as he tried to get the memory out of his mind. He had to stay calm; how was he supposed to get Megrez to relax if he couldn’t do it himself?

“What’s wrong, Maple Leaf?” he asked as he wiped away the tears on the redhead’s cheeks with his thumb.

“I…I-I don’t know, Bill…I…I was right to break up with her, right?”

“Of course you were. The relationship was going nowhere.”

“Then why am I not happy…? I…I d-don’t…love her anymore—d-did I ever really love her? I don’t even know—but I feel terrible…

“She didn’t cry. She wasn’t even close. It’s like…she was trying to act like she didn’t want to leave me, and she’s terrible at acting. I…was worthless to her. She really didn’t care anymore…I should’ve left her sooner. I’m…I’m sorry, Bill. I…Deep down, I knew that she was cheating, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of being single again, and that was pathetic of me…”

Megrez thought he was calming down, but he ended up going back to crying instead.  He hated it; he knew she wasn’t worth crying over at all, yet he still was. He liked the sensation of Bill gently caressing his cheek with his thumb to wipe away his burning tears, but that didn’t change the fact that _I’m still pathetic._

“You don’t have to be sorry for anything, Maple Leaf. You did good. No, you did great. It’s okay to cry; it’s normal,” Bill said, holding Megrez’ hand.

 “But she doesn’t deserve to be cried over, so why am I acting like this…?”

“Emotions are irrational, Maple Leaf, but I say maybe you’re just that good of a person. Don’t worry about it though; I’m here for you, and I’m not going to leave you.”

Other than the redhead’s whimpers and sniffles, silence filled the room for a few moments. It was rather nice for the demon, but it wasn’t for Megrez, considering he knew what he was going to do and Bill didn’t. However, when he slowly pulled his hand away from Bill’s and turned his head away, the gentle smile of the demon’s face faded away.

He sighed. “Why though?”

“Why what, Maple Leaf?”

“Why wouldn’t you leave me? I’m pathetic. I…know I’m a pretty decent person, but you’re extraordinary. Why do you even like me? I’ve…I’ve been wanting to ask that for a while.”

There was more silence. Much longer than the previous one. Bill, too, stopped looking at Megrez and shifted his gaze elsewhere. He thought long and hard about what his answer would be. There were several things he could say that would technically be true, but things were different now. He was Megrez’ best friend, though he still doesn’t know why he even came into his life. Thinking about it, he felt like he was being unfair and deceitful.

_…I have to tell him._

He looked back into Megrez’ eyes, which were rather puffy from his crying.

“…Because we’ve known each other before,” he answered, clenching his fists to try and combat the anxiety he felt.

“…What do you mean?” the redhead asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowing in skepticism.

Bill sighed.

_There’s no turning back now._

“Sit back and relax, Maple Leaf. This is going to be quite the story. The story of our lives, as a matter of fact,” he said as he leaned back on the couch.

Megrez didn’t understand what he meant, but he did as he was told. Perhaps all the questions he had about Bill would finally be answered.

“First off, I’m a demon. I’ve been living for over a trillion years, wreaking havoc all over the multiverse, but then I met the most wonderful human in existence—Dipper, whose soul you possess. Well, his name’s actually Mason, but everyone called him Dipper.

“We lived a beautiful life together. Although we were enemies at first, we became friends after a few years, and eventually, we became inseparable. No bond could ever be as deep as ours, I’m sure of it. When I first appeared to him in this form before you, he actually attempted to kill me, which was understandable. But as time went on, he grew to love my cheekiness, smugness, charm, my presence, and even a bit of chaos. It wasn’t just him that changed though; so did I. Anyone who had morals would abhor me, and I’d relish in that hatred. I’m a being of pure energy; none of those fleshbags could actually harm me, but if it ever came to a point that they could, I could—and usually did—easily punish them in disturbing ways.

“I’m from another dimension, so I always just slept in Dipper’s old house, where the rest of his family lived as well. They went from wanting to kill me to actually liking me, too. For a few years, we all lived together, and I felt like I was actually part of their family.

“It was lovely, but one day, Dipper decided that we should move out. Although I did like his family, I loved being alone with him the most, and so we did. We lived together in a house in Los Angeles—which is still there, by the way—and from then on, our life together became even better than it already was.

“We went to malls, watched movies, ate together in restaurants, played—and sometimes cheated—in arcades, had fun at amusement parks and fairs, swam and splashed around in water parks, and even visited other countries.

“Some of the best things to do together we did right at home though; we cuddled on the couch and bed with or without blankets, snuggled by the fireplace on cold nights, watched whatever was on the television or what movies he had, played video games, sang karaoke, cooked for each other, and, my personal favorite, slept together. Not in that way though; we just slept beside each other on the same bed. Sometimes we’d even have dreams together thanks to my power, and it was always a lot of fun; we got to hang out without having to tire out our physical vessels.”

Bill paused and smiled sadly to himself.

“We were living a great life together, and it could’ve lasted forever, but…”

His vision grew blurry.

“…It…didn’t.”

Tears began to roll down his cheeks. Perhaps he would never run out of tears to shed for his dearly departed. He wished he did so that he would never feel the burning sensation on his face again, but he supposed that no amount would be enough for someone as precious as Dipper.

“I…I had the power to keep him alive for all eternity, but he didn’t want it…and so I didn’t give it to him.

“I couldn’t…I couldn’t accept it at first. I _begged_ him to please, _please_ let me make him immortal; I didn’t want to lose him and I never did. Out of all the creatures I’ve met throughout my life, he was the only one that ever truly mattered to me. I’ve never cared for someone so much before, and I was glad that someone was him.

“…But I respected his wishes. I-I had to. He didn’t want to have to watch the rest of his loved ones die, and…I-I get it. I didn’t want him to suffer…and I didn’t make him, even if it meant that I have to live through the rest of my never-ending existence without him.

“And I am.”

He could feel his heart ache as he remembered their last few moments together. Tears were drenching his skin and dripping onto part of his clothes, but he couldn’t care any less. What was left to care for when Dipper was gone?

Megrez cared for Bill though. The things he was saying were a lot to take in, but he didn’t love the demon any less. Slowly and carefully, he slid closer to the taller man and held his hand.

Bill shifted his gaze to the redhead for a second. He saw the caring look in his eyes, and for a brief moment, he smiled. Sadly, but he smiled nonetheless. He went back to gazing at nothing in particular after that little bit of comfort from Megrez, and he sighed with that same sad smile on his face.

“He was my precious Pine Tree.

“He always wore a cap with a pine tree on it.”

Megrez’ eyes widened in realization, but he didn’t say anything.

_So that’s why you call me Maple Leaf…_

“I remember his smile. It was beautiful; so full of life and happiness. It’d always lighten up my day and make me smile no matter how bad I felt.

“…Except for the last time I saw it.

“I remember our last moments together so clearly. We were in a clearing of a forest of pine trees. He was laying in the middle of it all, and I was sitting beside him, holding his hand with both of mine. We gazed at each other as we waited for…his demise. His brown eyes that were always so bright and full of curiosity were tired. Mine, on the other hand, were no better; they were overflowing with tears.

“We talked softly while waiting, too. It…made my heart ache whenever I heard his voice; it was faint, and it sounded like it was taking what was left of his life out of him…but I didn’t want to stop talking to him. We didn’t have much time left together, and I didn’t want to waste it. We had to say our final goodbyes and leave nothing untold…”

He sobbed and buried his face in his hands.

“Nothing untold…” he repeated.

Megrez released the demon’s hand. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Bill, tenderly embracing him. Not caring that his hands were damp, Bill held onto the redhead for just a few seconds. He didn’t intend to stop talking for long, so he put his hands back on the couch and sniffled.

“He said, ‘I’m sorry I have to leave you, Bill.’

“And I told him, ‘You have nothing to be sorry for, my precious Pine Tree.’

“Then we reminisced on the times we had together. We smiled as we talked fondly about our memories, but our hearts were breaking, too.

“And then he stopped talking for a while. I held him a little tighter, hoping that he wouldn’t close his eyes just yet.

“Then with a miserable smile and eyes welling up with tears—in the most painful expression I’ve ever seen him don—he softly called, ‘Bill…’

“Quickly, I answered, ‘Yes, Dipper?’

“He opened his mouth for a split second, as if he was going to say something, but he shut it right away and gazed at me before he uttered his final words.”

He paused.

 “’…We’ll meet again.’”

And he sobbed.

“Then he closed his eyes. And it was quiet. It was peaceful around us, but I was in agony. I placed his hand on his heart, then I clenched the grass on the ground as I cried and cried, for I didn’t get to tell him what I should’ve sooner.”

Bill turned to Megrez and, while shakily holding on to his arm with one hand and looking straight into his eyes, said what he’d been wanting to for a long, long, time.

_“I love you.”_

It was then that Megrez averted his gaze and felt those words pierce through his heart. He knew exactly what Bill meant, and he wished he didn’t. He didn’t want to hurt Bill; he doesn’t deserve any more pain than he already went through.

But he can’t lie either.

He took a deep breath, then looked back into the demon’s eyes.

“I love you too, Bill…

“…but you mean that romantically, don’t you?”

With that, Bill already knew his answer. It pained Megrez to look at the heartbreak on his face, knowing that he caused it.

“…Yes…” the demon desperately squeaked out, forcing the word out of his throat.

Megrez didn’t say anything for a while, but he pulled the demon into a tight, warm embrace. He wanted him to feel loved, even if it wasn’t in the way he so badly wanted.

“I’m sorry, Bill…I’m not Dipper. I…I’m straight, and I…can’t do anything about it, even if I really want to for you.

“…But I do have his soul, and I know that he loves you too. In the same way you love him. I can feel it.”

Neither of them spoke for a while after that. They stayed on the couch, embracing each other lovingly. Tears eventually stopped pouring from Bill’s eyes, but even after they did, neither he nor the redhead moved an inch, not counting him going a little limp because he grew tired from all the lamentation.

** ______________________________ **

“Hey, Bill?” Megrez softly called, pausing from his languid stroking of the demon’s back for the past few minutes.

“Yes, Maple Leaf?”

“I…I know I rejected you, but can we still be best friends? Please? You’re probably really disappointed in me—and again, I’m sorry—but even though I don’t love you that way, you’re still the best thing that’s ever happened in my life, and I don’t want to lose you. I’d—I’d date you if I wasn’t straight, you know. You’re sweet, charming, and I love how cheeky and smug you can be. I—“

A tiny chuckle interrupted him from complimenting the demon further. It was unexpected, but it was certainly better than any other initial response he could’ve thought of.

“Of course, Megrez. I wouldn’t leave you just because you don’t love me romantically.”

_And I know you’re still in there too, Dipper. I’m not leaving you either; I’ll wait for as many lifetimes as it takes to be yours, and even after then, I’ll still be with you and love you no matter what. I’ll love you even beyond the end of time._

_Quam tum exspecta me, amica mea._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this oneshot!! Thank you for reading <3


End file.
